


Kisses and Canaries

by Chelonie



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Don’t copy to another site, F/M, Girls are not Prizes, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, alternate scene ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 01:07:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21027752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chelonie/pseuds/Chelonie
Summary: After Ron and Lavender hook up in the Common Room, Harry goes to find Hermione.How thingsshouldhave proceeded from there....





	Kisses and Canaries

Harry found Hermione in the first unlocked classroom. Her hair was wild and sparking with magic, and she was conjuring perfect canaries that left her wand and flew in circles around her head. She wasn’t crying, so maybe she hadn’t seen Ron and Lavender.

(Except there was no way she hadn’t seen Ron and Lavender.)

Harry sat on the teacher’s desk next to her, and bumped her shoulder companionably. “Ron is a git.”

“It’s okay. I just... thought I might... have a chance. But Lavender… she’s miles out of my league,” Hermione said.

Harry turned to her in disbelief. “What are you talking about, Hermione?”

“She’s pretty and kind and cheerful, and she’s, you know… got a figure,” Hermione said. “No guy at Hogwarts would look at me if they could have her.”

Harry took Hermione’s hand. “Hermione, you’re smart and…”

“Smart!” she said bitterly. “Yes, I’m _ smart _ . That’s all I have going for me. I knew I didn’t have a _ chance _ with… with… never mind. With someone _ really _ fanciable. But I had thought maybe someone like Ron. I mean, it’s not like he has a lot of prospects. Except, I guess he _ does _.”

A few more canaries shot out of her wand.

“You’re more than smart!” Harry said. “You’re loyal and dangerous and sneaky and clever and you - I mean, yeah, Lavender’s pretty, but you’re something more -” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh sod it, am I a Gryffindor or not?” 

He put one hand to Hermione’s cheek and leaned in to kiss her.

Hermione froze against him at first. Then she grabbed his shoulders and kissed him back, Her lips were so soft against his Quidditch chapped lips, and then she parted her lips and… oh wow… kissing Cho had been nothing like this...

The door behind them burst open. Ron and Lavender came in laughing, hand in hand.

“Oops!” Lavender said. She tried to pull Ron out, but Ron stood his ground.

“What the fuck?” Ron demanded. “Harry, how could you? Taking advantage -”

Hermione glared at Ron. “Ron, get lost. Find another classroom.”

Ron took a few aggressive steps towards them. “Oh, so you _ wanted _it!” Harry could see that Ron’s face was beginning to turn purple. “You think putting out will make Harry want you? He can do better than -”

“Shut up, fuckwit!” Harry shouted. “There is no way I could _ever _do better than Hermione. She’s beautiful and brilliant and the only reason I never asked her out before is because I thought she fancied _your _freckled arse.”

Hermione gasped, her hands going to her mouth. “Harry… really?”

Harry looked into her warm, brown eyes, and forgot all about Ron and Lavender. “Truly. Hermione, you’re the most amazing girl I’ve ever known. Would you… give me a chance?”

“That’s not fair!” Ron bellowed. “You traitor! I had dibs!”

Lavender rounded on Ron. “Dibs? Did you just say _ dibs _ ? As if Hermione was a _ pasty _ instead of a _ witch _?”

Ron had the sense to look sheepish. “Well… I meant… Harry knew I liked her…”

“If you liked _ her _ then what were you doing kissing _ me _ ?” Lavender shrieked, then aimed her wand at Ron. “ _ Labia Magna!” _

Ron’s lips swelled up until they were so large that he had to catch them with one hand to support them. He tried to yell something back, but it was incoherent, and he ran out.

“Oh Lav…” Hermione said, and she put her arms around the other girl, who was suddenly crying. “Harry… could you… I mean, the answer is yes, definitely yes, but I think Lavender and I…”

“Girl time, I get it,” Harry said. “I’ll wait for you in the Common Room.”

* * *

Harry’s stomach was a riot of nerves as he waited for Hermione to return. What if she changed her mind while they were apart? What if Lavender talked her out of it? What if she decided she’d rather be with Lavender? _ (He had to immediately suppress the thought of Hermione kissing Lavender - he didn’t fancy Lavender, but she was certainly the girl with the most curves in their year, and the thought of her and Hermione kissing was one he might have to think about later… alone… ) _

And then there was Ron. He knew in his heart that there was no coming back from this fight. Ron has always been so jealous of him having fame and money but now that Harry also had “the witch” _ (as if Hermione was a prize, and couldn’t make her own decisions), _Ron would never forgive either of them. Harry for taking what Ron thought of as ‘his’, and Hermione for not patiently waiting until Ron was finished using Lavender to stomp on Hermione’s self esteem. 

But if his friendship with Ron was over, did that mean he couldn’t go to the Burrow again?

“Hey Ginny?” he asked. Dean had fallen asleep with his head on her lap, and she was chatting with Neville.

“Yeah Harry?”

“Can I ask you something - confidential?” Harry asked. “I mean, it’s okay for you to hear too, Neville. I just want to cast a spell.”

“Sure,” Ginny said. 

Harry cast _ Muffliato _, and then went on, “So… you saw Ron and Lavender… and so did Hermione. So I went after her… and kissed her -”

“You did?” Ginny narrowed her eyes. “Did you mean it? Or was it a pity kiss?”

Harry pushed his fingers through his hair. “Er… I meant it? She’s absolutely wonderful and I never thought I’d have a chance with her. And, er… then Ron and Lavender burst in on us…”

Neville and Ginny both winced. 

“And Ron was furious, and he yelled at us, and Lavender hexed him, and now she’s crying - Lavender, not Hermione - and I guess Ron went to see Madam Pomphrey and…” Harry took a deep breath. “I don’t think Ron will ever forgive me. Or her.”

“He won’t, mate,” Neville said. “But why would you want him to?”

“Because he’s my best friend…” Harry said weakly.

“If he wanted to be your best friend, he’d treat you better,” Ginny said. “And if he wanted to be Lavender’s boyfriend, he’d treat _ her _better instead of using her to make Hermione jealous.”

“But if Ron’s not my friend anymore…” Harry couldn’t finish the question. But Ginny understood him.

“Oh Harry, you’ll always be an honorary Weasley,” she said, and displaced Dean in order to hug him. “It’s not like we don’t fight with each other. I mean, look at the whole Percy mess. And Mum and Bill and Fleur. And someone’s always pissed off at the twins for something. But you and Hermione are still family, even if Ron doesn’t like it.”

Dean grunted as he woke up. “What has Ron done now?”

“I think Lavender dumped him,” Neville said.

“She used some sort of giant lips hex on him,” Harry said. 

“Ha! That’s her cosmetics charm!” Ginny said. “It’s used to make your lips look larger and plumper.”

The three boys looked at Ginny in astonishment. “What really? Witches can do that?” Dean asked.

“Do _ you _do that?” Harry asked.

“Yes, some _ people _can do that, but only if they're brilliant at transfiguration like Lavender is. I don't, because human transfiguration is bloody hard! Besides, I don’t care how my lips look anyway,” Ginny said.

“What about other body parts?” Dean asked.

“Aaaaand, we’re done here,” Ginny said, putting a hand over Dean’s mouth. “Anyway, I’m going to go get Hermione some reinforcements.” She dove into the throng of partying Gryffindors and a little while later Harry saw her leave the portrait hole with Parvati Patil, Lavender’s best friend.

* * *

“So, you and Hermione?” Neville said. “I wondered how long it would take you two.”

“I thought she fancied Ron!” Harry said.

“Can you really see her with Ron, long term? She deserves someone who values her for what she is,” Dean said. “Ron is always putting her down for her studies.”

“Er… I’m not really much more into books than Ron is,” Harry confessed.

“Maybe not, but you don’t mock or belittle Hermione for it. Think about it this way, would you ever want to date someone who made fun of your Quidditch skills?” Neville said. 

“Godric, no!” Harry said. “That sounds vile!”

“Imagine what it would be like for Hermione, dating someone who wanted her to dumb herself down. It’d be like you dating someone who wanted you to burn your broom and ground yourself,” Neville said.

* * *

A few minutes later, Ginny returned alone. “Can I borrow your cloak to smuggle Lavender back to her room, so she doesn’t have to deal with everyone who just saw her and Ron until tomorrow?”

“Sure, Gin.” Harry was still keeping it close, on Dumbledore’s orders, so he handed it over to her.

“And Hermione is waiting for you outside,” she said. 

Harry’s stomach went into butterflies, and he said brilliantly, “Er… what do I do?”

“Just go kiss her again, mate,” Neville said. 

“You can do it,” Dean said, thumping on the shoulder.

Ginny grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him to the portrait.

* * *

Hermione was waiting for him. Her hair was wild and sparking with magic, and she still had a couple of canaries flying around her head.

Harry climbed out to her and took her hand. “Still yes?”

“Very yes,” she said.

* * *

The next day, the school was abuzz with the news that Lavender Brown had hexed Ron Weasley so badly that it had taken Professor McGonagall to reverse the transfiguration on his lips.

The day after, the big news was that the hex had earned Lavender Brown a coveted invitation to the Slug Club Christmas party, and she was taking her new girlfriend Mandy Brocklehurst.

The general consensus of the gossip mill to Harry and Hermione getting together was either "It's about time" or "Weren't they already?"

As for Harry and Hermione themselves, they were too happy to care.

**Author's Note:**

> Christmas at the Burrow that year:  
Ron: Traitor!  
Harry: Why was I ever friends with you? Hedwig, I have another letter for Hermione! 😍
> 
> Back at school:  
Draco: _doing suspicious things_  
Harry and Hermione: _off snogging_  
Ron: _seethes_
> 
> End of the year:  
Harry: So now I need to break up with you to keep you safe from Voldemort while I go on my quest...  
Hermione: You silly boy... how do you expect to find Horcruxes without me?  
Harry: Sheer dumb luck?  
Hermione: Are we going to have this entire argument, or are you just going to save time and admit you need me now?  
Harry: Er... trick question! No fair!
> 
> ((Battle of Hogwarts goes mostly like [I'm with you to the end](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19977052/chapters/47292154)))


End file.
